​I hope you can join the HASCO Duo and me at Studio Z on March 31st for an afternoon of improvised electronic music. Amanda DeBoer Bartlett (voice) and Jesse Langen (guitar) of the HASCO Duo bring their improvised electronic magic and blend it with my sound processing environments to create music ranging from the ethereal to the edgy, intermixed with the occasional surprise. You will see and hear interesting texts, guitar pedals, e-bows, and Nintendo Wiimotes.

Jesse and Amanda are featured on the recently released album Manifold, an eclectic collection of my original music from the past 25 years, ranging from solo classical guitar to guitar with electronics to the improvised electronics you will hear in this show. The album will be available that afternoon, and is available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and other outlets.

Jesse and I are from Stearns county in central Minnesota, but we met in 1994 in Chicago when we were students at Northwestern University. I have performed with and written many pieces for him since then, and am extremely pleased to have been able to work with him extensively over the past two years. He is a singular talent who takes the process of learning and studying a piece of music more seriously than anyone I have met. It is a fortunate composer who has a performer treat his music with the degree of detail that Jesse does.

The original idea for Manifold was an album featuring Jesse on guitar, solo and with electronics. At his suggestion, we brought in Amanda from Omaha for two tracks of improvised music, which has proven to be an extremely good decision. The tracks with Amanda have received more airplay than the others. Jesse and Amanda, besides forming the entirety of the HASCO Duo, are also members of the renowned Chicago-based new music ensemble Dal Niente.

​This concert is part of a short tour that includes shows in Grand Forks, ND, Chicago, and St. Paul. It is funded by a University of North Dakota Fine Arts and Humanities Scholarship Initiative Grant, administered by the UND College of Arts and Sciences.

HASCO DUO FEATURING MICHAEL WITTGRAF

March 31 • 4 p.m. • $10 • Tickets/info​An afternoon of improvised electronic music. The HASCO duo, comprising Amanda DeBoer Bartlett(Omaha, NE) on vocals and electronics and Jesse Langen (Chicago, IL) on guitar and electronics, team up with Michael Wittgraf (Grand Forks, ND) on computer to create an afternoon filled with soothing sounds, interesting words, and many surprises. It is an experience of maximum interaction between performers and their technology.

Ryan David Stevens (b. 1992) is an American composer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. They received a B.M. in music theory and composition in 2016 from the University of Northern Iowa, studying under Dr. Jonathan Schwabe and Dr. Alan Schmitz. Stevens takes interest in loosening the definition of what it means to make "high art" music. They often take inspiration from the experimental production and composition styles of noise, electronic, and rock/pop music, while continuing to push boundaries in the contemporary classical realm of music composition and performance.

Ryan is one of three winners of Zeitgeist's 24th annual Eric Stokes Song Contest. Named in memory of late composer Eric Stokes, the contest is designed to encourage and celebrate amateur composers throughout the Twin Cities. Ryan's winning composition, Tachypsychia: Circadian, will be performed by Zeitgeist at their annual Playing it Close to Home concert Feb. 8-9 at Studio Z.

Tachypsychia was originally written as a four-movement piano suite. The second movement, Circadian, has been arranged specifically for Zeitgeist. Tachypsychia is a neurological condition that alters the perception of time during moments of extreme trauma, physical exertion, or altered states of mind. Ryan finds that minimalism tries to achieve a similar goal of distorting time through music.

Playing it Close to Home

With winning songs from the Eric Stokes Song Contest plus music by local composer Yohannes Tona, Zeitgeist's annual Playing it Close to Home concert celebrates the wealth of musical creativity found right here in our own backyard. The program includes music by Eric Stokes Song Contest winners Debbie Cushman, Ryan David Stevens, and Dominic Cudd, plus new works by Ethiopian bassist and composer Yohannes Tona, including pieces inspired by Ethiopian folk music and works from his albums 1317 and Sand From The Desert.

​Dominic Cudd is a 16-year-old singer, songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist from South Minneapolis. He is a sophomore at the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, is a member of the Prelude Performance Program at MacPhail Center of Music, and studies voice with Thaxter Cunio. He has been awarded the Mary Ann Kimball Vocal Performance Scholarship at MacPhail the past two years, and is a 2019 winner of MacPhail's Mini-Met Competition.

In addition to singing, Dominic plays trumpet (including with Minnesota Youth Symphonies), piano, and guitar, and he composes his own songs. He released his first album of original songs (entitled In This Place) in November 2018. Dominic wrote the lyrics and music for the album and performed on vocals, keyboard, guitar and trumpet. Dominic has also composed original jazz compositions, and he recently wrote an original score for an SPCPA production of The Little Prince at Gremlin Theatre.

Dominic is the youth winner of Zeitgeist's 24th annual Eric Stokes Song Contest. Named in memory of late composer Eric Stokes, the contest is designed to encourage and celebrate amateur composers throughout the Twin Cities. Dominic's winning entry, Composition in B minor, will be performed by Zeitgeist at their annual Playing it Close to Home concert Feb. 8-9 at Studio Z.

In describing his winning composition, Dominic says: "I love music because it is beautiful and allows me to express deep emotion. There is some sadness in this song but also the idea that creating something beautiful is calming and healing."

Playing it Close to Home

With winning songs from the Eric Stokes Song Contest plus music by local composer Yohannes Tona, Zeitgeist's annual Playing it Close to Home concert celebrates the wealth of musical creativity found right here in our own backyard. The program includes music by Eric Stokes Song Contest winners Debbie Cushman, Ryan David Stevens, and Dominic Cudd, plus new works by Ethiopian bassist and composer Yohannes Tona, including pieces inspired by Ethiopian folk music and works from his albums 1317 and Sand From The Desert.

A classical piano student from the age of five, St. Paul-based singer-songwriter Debbie Cushman taught herself to play guitar as an adult. One awesome teacher and a couple of decades later, guitar is her primary instrument and she has written three albums of songs since 2012, all published under the Footfall band name. While Americana is a natural home for most of her repertoire, Debbie is happy to sing and make music across genres; she is equally comfortable with hymns and rock and roll. Debbie plays in a variety of settings and configurations, including as a soloist and with the bands Footfall, Granger’s Moonshine and Wayward Creek. Thanks to the good humor of her band-mates, you may also see her dabbling in harmonica and washboard.

Debbie is one of three winners of Zeitgeist's 24th annual Eric Stokes Song Contest. Named in memory of late composer Eric Stokes, the contest is designed to encourage and celebrate amateur composers throughout the Twin Cities. Debbie will join Zeitgeist to perform her winning song, Crazy Sky, at Zeitgeist's annual Playing it Close to Home concert Feb. 8-9 at Studio Z.

Debbie writes about her winning song and her work as a songwriter:

I wrote Crazy Sky when a friend sent me a summer storm photo--one of those pink and orange and black Midwestern skies after the rain has moved out. Not all songs just come together, but this one wrote itself quickly. The studio additions made by violin and cello (The OK Factor) were genius... so in that sense, I guess the spirit of the piece worked to say what I was trying to get across.

I credit a lot of my songwriting to two pretty different things: time spent in various choirs over the years, and the study of foreign languages. I've had so many wonderful teachers in both arenas. I'm kind of obsessed with vowel sounds and alliteration and how it affects imagery. I would be hard-pressed to write a poem, but combining words with music makes it easier for me to paint a picture. I see every song as having the potential to be a singular piece of art, both auditory and visual.

It's incredibly humbling to be a winner in the Zeitgeist song contest. I have such gratitude for all the musicians and my family and friends who have supported me on this musical journey. What an honor. This is great inspiration to keep composing.

Playing it Close to Home

With winning songs from the Eric Stokes Song Contest plus music by local composer Yohannes Tona, Zeitgeist's annual Playing it Close to Home concert celebrates the wealth of musical creativity found right here in our own backyard. The program includes music by Eric Stokes Song Contest winners Debbie Cushman, Ryan David Stevens, and Dominic Cudd, plus new works by Ethiopian bassist and composer Yohannes Tona, including pieces inspired by Ethiopian folk music and works from his albums 1317 and Sand From The Desert.

]]>Tue, 11 Dec 2018 15:14:48 GMThttp://www.studiozstpaul.com/blog/interview-with-babatunde-lea-steve-hirshRhythm's Mama and Le Voyage, two bands that seek to raise the spirits and defy conventional notions of genres, will come together for performances this Sunday, Dec. 16 at Studio Z.

Rhythm's Mama is deeply embedded in the African roots of Cuba and beyond, playing Babatunde Lea's original compositions and jazz standards in the rhythms of the African diaspora. Le Voyage's music is composed in the moment, always aiming for the spirit that lies beneath the music.

I grew up in the New York City area and was exposed at early age to Afro-Cuban music and dance bands. I had nine aunts and they'd take me dancing. I knew how to mambo before I could walk. I started playing marching drums at age 11, congas at 13-14. A cousin who was 4-5 years older than me took me to NYC to see bands. I saw Babatunde Olatunji in 1959 and it blew my mind. That's when I decided I wanted to be a drummer, that that's how I wanted to live my life. Growing up in NYC, I saw everyone. Ray Baretto came to my high school and signed my conga. I saw Eddie and Charlie Palmieri, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria. I haven't been to Cuba, but I am still deeply influenced by the music.

How does African culture influence your approach to jazz standards?

I was so exposed to Afro-based music that it is the foundation of whatever I play. I look for the African-ness in all my music, no matter who I'm working with. That's what I know. I've studied the traditions from Senegal, Cuba, Brazil, Mali. I play all kinds of percussion instruments, trap set, and bata. It's a no-brainer that I'm bringing that to my music. Because the music comes form the psyche of African-American people in this hemisphere, the music is already connected to Africa. The African-ness is already there in jazz; I just look for it. ​

Questions for Steve Hirsh of LeVoyage:

What is your approach to "composing in the moment."

We just play. Someone makes a sound, someone responds, and off we go. It's conversational--someone starts a conversation, and the rest of us chime in as we are moved to.

How does the group communicate during performance?

Primarily through sound. Personally, I play with my eyes closed most of the time, so visual cues wouldn't be much use. But we are paying close attention to what each other is saying on their instrument and the communication happens through what we play (or don't play) in response to what we're hearing.

In what ways do you bring out the spirit that lies beneath the music?

There are lots of different ways to make music. What we refer to as musical genres or styles is about applying a set of rules to sound--rules about rhythm, pitch, harmony, rules about instrumentation, rules about who plays what and when. But all good music is about using those conventions to express feelings, to communicate something about who we are, to play the story of our lives. Some people think that free improvised music has no rules, but it's the opposite--we use all the rules. We just don't confine ourselves to any one set of rules. So, the musicians bring all their musical experience to the table, their experiences with all the different kinds of music they've absorbed, and their life experiences. The goal is to use all the tools available to us to express ourselves, to share our love with each other and with the audience. And to me, that's the spirit behind all music. ​

RHYTHM'S MAMA AND LE VOYAGEFAR OUT FAR IN

​Jenny Klukken and special musical guests will present an evening of marimba-centered music inspired by classical, Latin, jazz, and American folk music on Friday, Dec. 7 at Studio Z. Jenny's compositions and arrangements give a new voice to the modern marimba, an otherwise classical/repertoire-based instrument, and leave room for improvisation and free-play.

In the spring of 2018, Jenny Klukken traveled to Paris to study marimba, composition, and improvisation with Eric Sammut, and to compose works for marimba that incorporated her unique approach to the instrument. The Studio Z performance will premiere works she composed in Paris, plus various works that have been collectively arranged by Jenny Klukken and guest musicians Robert Everest (guitar/vocals), Michael Bissonette (percussion), and The OK Factor (violin: Karla Colahan, cello: Olivia Diercks). We interviewed Jenny to learn more about the new works and her artistic background and inspirations.

Where do you find inspiration for your unique style of marimba composition?

I played the piano as a child and studied classical percussion in college. I discovered the marimba when I was a freshmen in college and it became clearer to me throughout my schooling that it was my main instrument. It wasn’t until after college that I found myself wanting to compose for myself. I would search through repertoire, searching for inspiration for what to do next with my instrument. While I appreciated other marimbists’ craft, none of the repertoire felt like something I was compelled to play myself. I never formally studied composition, but have been writing songs and geeking-out about music theory since I was a kid. I grew up playing and listening to a lot of jazz, bluegrass, and gospel music, so writing and playing tunes instead of through-composed pieces has always felt like home. I hesitate to call myself a full-on jazz musician, but more of a jazz/world/classical/cross-over instrumentalist and composer (though that is much more of a mouthful, isn’t it?).

How are you able to incorporate other genres into your compositions while keeping your own unique voice and style?

I most often find my compositions sounding like Latin, American folk, and/or jazz music. The last two are pretty unusual to find a marimba in, which is fun to play with. I love to pull rhythmic ideas from these genres while interjecting passages that could only be pulled off by a marimba. The years in college I spent practicing four-mallet permutation exercises will pop up into something that otherwise sounded very non-classical. I think it is fun to write music that doesn’t completely slip into one genre and to balance the line between sounding extremely rehearsed and improvisational. I constantly aim to be able to improvise on the marimba with the same virtuosity

Tell us about your experience studying with Eric Sammut in Paris.

I received the “Next Step” grant last year from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Center to travel to Paris and study marimba, composition, and improvisation with Eric Sammut for one month. If you don’t know Eric Sammut, he is a pillar of the marimba world; a phenomenal composer and performer who first became widely known in the early 90’s, and one of the only improvising marimbists I know. I rented a small flat in Paris (with just enough room for a 5 octave marimba) that was walking distance to Eric’s home. Twice a week, Eric would meet me there for a 2+ hour lesson. Most marimbists know that Eric is an extraordinary player and composer, but I soon learned that he is also an incredibly kind, humble, and generous person. Lessons alternated between improvisation exercises and workshopping compositions. Our time usually ended with espresso and chats about Eric’s interesting life and inspirational approach to music and the marimba. I have always had to translate conversations about accompanying and soloing through my marimba lenses, and this was the first time I talked to someone who had explored the marimba’s capabilities in a jazz ensemble setting. His thoughts about voicing chords, arranging, and soloing according to the marimba’s timbre were groundbreaking for me. Outside of practicing and composing, I spent my time exploring Paris.

​How did you go about collectively arranging pieces with the five guest musicians?

I’ve played with all of these musicians before, but pairs of them have never performed with each other. It was helpful to have a musical history with them all as I began writing for each of them specifically. All of the pieces that we’re playing on December 7th are written as charts, save one through-composed piece I wrote last spring. I started getting ready for a concert like this while I was in Paris and spent hours writing out through-composed charts for everyone. Once I got into my first rehearsal with this music, it was very clear to me that this room of musicians (including myself) was going to function better off of charts. I feel more at home reading charts rather than composed parts, and I also enjoy hearing musicians put their own personal touches on my ideas. I am very happy with where these pieces ended up. I enjoy the thrill of not knowing exactly how everything is going to go: how my cadenza might end up, when a new burst of energy will arise, or when there might be a musical shift between players. I think the classical marimba world could use more of this; more free-playing and making music for the moment. This is where I have found my voice as a musician, and I look forward to sharing it with everyone at Studio Z that night.

JENNY KLUKKEN AND GUESTSMARIMBA SONGS

Minnesota composer and vocalist Shruthi Rajasekar is trained in Carnatic (South Indian classical) and Western classical music, and explores cultural identity in her music. Shruthi studied composition at Princeton University and is currently pursuing music in the UK as a 2018 Marshall Scholar.

​In 2009, at the age of twelve, Shruthi won the youth division of the Eric Stokes Song Contest with her original composition entitled A Memory. Shruthi shares her song contest experience with us reflects on its impact on her music career.

​Hello!

My name is Shruthi Rajasekar, and I'm a Minnesotan composer and vocalist. I'm currently living in London as a Marshall Scholar, where I am "reading" for a master's degree in Ethnomusicology at SOAS, University of London; next year, I'll be doing another degree in composition. I'm a product of the Wayzata Public Schools, and did my undergraduate work at Princeton University. In other words, I like school!

During the winter of 2008-2009, I did something that kinda changed my life--I submitted one of my ditties to the Eric Stokes Song Contest. The word "composition" was wholly foreign. I wrote some tunes, but I only performed them for myself; they were a part of my private "play" world.

A little about me: I began my studies in Carnatic (South Indian classical) music. My mom, Nirmala Rajasekar, is a veena player and Carnatic singer, so my education probably began in the womb! I wasn't the best singer, but I loved Indian music theory, and I made up little exercises. I also studied some piano; I was not very good at practicing the repertoire, but I really liked making my own songs. This did not translate to sight-reading/notational skills; I was basically an aural musician... and I'll get back to that in a moment.

So, the Eric Stokes Song Contest. I learned about this amazing contest through Zeitgeist virtuoso Heather Barringer. Before, I'd never thought that (1) what I did was capital-M Music and (2) others would want to hear my "Music." And so my submission--that is, sending my piece to the judges-- was the very first time I'd ever shared myself in that uniquely emotive way.

In fact, everything about the submission process was an exercise in growth. First, though my lovely mother has always paved the way for my musical happiness, I did this contest solo: she was touring internationally when I made my submission, and my dear (poor) dad had to teach me how to mail it in. As I mentioned earlier, I did not "do" staff notation, so I made a recording of my piano piece instead. It was the first time I'd ever used a recorder. I had this part-toy thing (bless its heart) that didn't pick up much sound, and let me tell you--I needed several takes. I'd also never written a bio before, probably because there was literally n.o.t.h.i.n.g. to put into it, so I created an actual biography of my young life (think math competitions and a lengthy explanation of my given name). As for the program note, see below... and please note the spelling error:

Dear Zeitgeist Judges:This song, A Memory, has been recorded on a piano. It is only a basic melody line with a few cords, yet I feel great after I play it, and it brings back real memories about theperson who inspired this song. I hope you enjoy!

Sincerely,Shruthi Rajasekar12-year-old

Yep... I really milked that "amateur" factor of eligibility.

Humor aside, these are the very powerful attributes of the Eric Stokes Song Contest. You can choose between a score and a recording, you can submit any kind of instrumentation and any style of piece, you can write on any theme, there are different age brackets, there's no age limit (rare for "emerging" opportunities), and, best of all, you don't need to be a capital-M Musician. In my own words, your submission should be something that makes you "feel great." To this day, I don't think I've encountered another competition in the world like this one: everything about it allows you to simply be you. And it's exactly what I needed to make my start.

Zeitgeist and the Eric Stokes Song Contest took me on an unforgettable ride. Along with two wonderful "adult" composers, I was selected as a winner and received humongous benefits: several performances, recordings, a video clip, newspaper interviews, plus the actual winnings. It also made me pretty cool at school :). Most importantly, it gave me the confidence that I, and my music, mattered. This is a talisman that I continue to grasp--because they, the panel of judges and the Zeitgeist ensemble, were the first people to make me proud of being a female PoC composer with a funky music background.

That feeling set me up to go forth and write more. I soon attempted it all: choral, orchestral, film. And a couple years later, I even had the opportunity to write a piece for Zeitgeist called Morning Dew that they guided me in creating (this is the premiere and I believe they still perform it sometimes!).

Now, I am very much an "emerging" composer, but I have been so blessed these past ten years. You see, I have the courage to apply to a thousand opportunities (and take my 999 rejections with dignity), because they treated me, a fledgling musician who could not even spell "chord", as a real composer... not in selecting me as a winner, but in taking the time to listen to my recording, and creating a space in which any person could be heard.

I owe Zeitgeist, composer Eric Stokes' warm spirit and inclusive mindset, and the panel (my very first listeners!) everything. I don't know that I can repay that debt--all I can do is pass on the love they showed me, and tell you that this contest is a gift that will keep on giving.

]]>Wed, 07 Nov 2018 01:58:43 GMThttp://www.studiozstpaul.com/blog/ian-ethan-cases-photon-symphonyBoston-based acoustic double-neck guitarist and composer Ian Ethan Case is quickly becoming recognized as “one of the most creative and engaging fingerstyle guitarists in the world” (International Center for Creativity.) His latest live project, PORTALS, will be presented at Studio Z on Sunday, Nov. 11. PORTALS expands on Case's creativity in the form of his "Photon Symphony," an intricate system of synchronized projections which enable a large cast of musicians to virtually join him on stage in a unique blend of virtual reality and live performance.

Inspired in part by his many performances in the Boston Museum of Science planetarium, the PORTALS project was primarily born out of Case’s newest album Earth Suite, which features twelve musicians from all over the globe and combines elements of Arabic, flamenco, jazz, classical, and Brazilian music with the energetic minimalism and rhythmic sophistication Case is becoming known for. “A lot of the musicians on the album, and really a lot of musicians today period, are simply not in a position to go on tour for several months at a time, and even if they were, we’re just not at a level yet where we could afford to bring 12 musicians on the road. But I really wanted people to hear these incredibly unique, one-of-a-kind instrumentalists, and I also really want people to hear these songs the way they’re meant to be heard, with the full orchestration.”

Case’s wife, live sound and electronics specialist Stephanie Case, has for years played a crucial role in bringing to life concerts that, in terms of scope, significantly exceed expectations for a solo performance. “For the past several years we’ve really tried to stretch the solo format as far as possible, and Stephanie has taken live looping and live sound design to the next level in an effort to communicate these songs as fully as we could. But the newer songs really demand the unique qualities of the specific musicians on the album, and we were hungry to break out of the looping box entirely. The constraints we were faced with ended up leading us to this whole new concept for what a live concert experience can be.”

IAN ETHAN CASEPORTALS, FEATURING THE PHOTON SYMPHONY

]]>Mon, 22 Oct 2018 17:00:25 GMThttp://www.studiozstpaul.com/blog/interview-with-pianist-matthew-bengtsonVisiting artist Matthew Bengtson will present a solo piano recital at Studio Z on Sunday, Nov. 4th featuring new works by Evan Chambers, Marcus Blunt, Jennifer Higdon, Ron Thomas, and Chiayu Hsu in addition to Debussy's Preludes Book II in honor of the 100th anniversary of the composer's death. We interviewed Bengtson to learn more about him and his concert program. ​

Your concert at Studio Z will feature new works for piano plus Debussy Preludes. Tell us a bit about the new works you're performing. Have you had a chance to work with any of the composers?

​Let me begin by describing the program of new works. I know and have worked with all these composers.

I am opening with "torn" by Evan Chambers. Evan is on our composition faculty at Michigan. This piece was one of a group of compositions commissioned to commemorate the early passing of William Albright, a brilliant composer and a mentor and friend of Chambers, among others. Albright had a Jekyll-and-Hyde-like personality; he could be very sweet, caring and warm, but he could also be irrational, confrontational, and nasty. Especially in his later years, he descended into alcoholism, which may have caused, and certainly exacerbated this split personality. This extremely violent piece, with a heart-rending middle section, is quite vivid in depicting both this torn personality, and our attempts to deal with his life or his premature death. I promise that this piece will get everyone's attention!

The next pieces are a group of miniatures by English composer Marcus Blunt. Marcus and I met digitally (though not yet in person) through our mutual interest in Scriabin, and the many elements of Scriabin's harmonic language. It uses the piano's resonance in an attractive way. The fantasy on the name of Gabriel Fauré takes as a melodic line the musical letters of Fauré's name. It's one of several Blunt compositions governed by this principle. Both it and the Nocturnes have their moments of drama, but they will be heard in this program as a lyrical counterpart to the Chambers opening salvo. These are my first performances of Blunt's music.

Jennifer Higdon's Notes of Gratitude was commissioned for a concert "Notes of Thanks" on the occasion of Linda Reichert's retirement from many years of directing Philadelphia's distinguished "Network for New Music" ensemble. Reichert was among the first to commission Higdon (and numerous other commissions were to follow). This relationship could be seen as the beginning of Higdon's distinguished career. In "Notes of Gratitude" the piano is divided into two instruments, one sounding conventional, resonant triadic sounds, and second giving a percussive sound given by stopped notes in the middle register. The piece has an aura of festivity and also one of sadness, reflecting that this chapter has come to a close. I gave the premiere of the work last April and will not forget the lively time we spent working on the piece.

Ron Thomas is a distinguished Classical and jazz pianist, and Classical and jazz composer, teacher and improviser from the Philadelphia area. His Classical training led to training under Stockhausen, but Thomas found a new direction in his encounter with Bill Evans, Miles Davis, and the jazz tradition. These Five Pieces for Piano are attractive pieces written in the manner of late-Romantic piano miniatures as by Brahms or Liszt, with some crossing into a popular idiom. In a number of these pieces, Thomas delights in exploring the tensions between chromatic voices, leading us to ever unexpected tonal regions. The conclusions of these pieces arise from their harmonic and dramatic logic, but they typically come as surprises nonetheless.

Chiayu Hsu is a Taiwanese-American composer on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire. I heard her Rhapsody-Toccata on an extraordinary recording at the International Conference of the College Music Society in Sydney, Australia. The performance was effective, but since the recording suffered from poor audio, I was interested to take up the piece, so I could give an audience a live experience of the work in the danger of live performance (and live performance IS dangerous in this piece!). The piece is an attempt to combine two pianistic virtuoso styles: the brilliant, fast-driving toccata style, and the Gershwinesque free, rhapsodic style. The piece is a great deal of fun and full of charm, even a little quixotic, but it is also extremely difficult. It will bring this part of the recital to an exciting close!

I learned the Debussy Preludes Book II as part of a semester's focus on Debussy at Michigan. I'll be playing this set at three other venues this fall. Debussy is likely the most important father of 20th and 21st century musical styles, always questioning traditions and exploring many fresh new ideas. He made possible many stylistic breakthroughs. This second book of Preludes represented a turn towards his later style, in which his more familiar "Impressionism" meets the Stravinsky style of Petrushka. There are various threads of connection one might find between Debussy and the other part of the recital. For example, there are the crosses between traditional art music and vernacular music, such as we find in Chambers, Thomas and Hsu in particular. In just this collection of Preludes, Debussy borrows from cakewalk in "General Lavine" and from the habanera in "La Puerta del Vino." He quotes excerpts from a Brahms Liebeslieder Waltz, from "The Rite of Spring," from a children's song "Au clair de la lune," from "God Save the Queen," and even the "Marseillaise." ​Debussy perfected the art of the inconclusive ending, reflecting the symbolist's credo of suggesting and evoking, rather than explicitly describing. You can hear the influence in Blunt and Thomas especially.

You are composer in addition to being a pianist. How does your work as a composer inform your compositions, and how does your experience as a performer inform your composing?

I am no longer an active composer, but from my experience, I understand the struggle to notate on paper the kind of gesture one makes on the piano. Notation can't capture all the nuances of a musical performance. Composers usually want us performers to respect and examine, and then go beyond the notation to create something fresh. I especially enjoy the opportunity to work with composers, as I have on this program. I like the opportunity to engage with them about what they are trying to achieve in their music. That frees me to go beyond the notation and gives me full confidence to communicate their vision.

Anything else you would like to add about yourself or your concert? ​About myself, I would just say that I'm an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, where I teach courses and seminars in Piano Literature, studio piano, and also historical performance on early keyboard instruments. I'm best known as an interpreter of Scriabin and Szymanowski, and my outside interests include golf, tennis, chess, and go.

MATTHEW BENGTSONNEW PIANO WORKS & DEBUSSY PRELUDES

]]>Mon, 22 Oct 2018 14:54:02 GMThttp://www.studiozstpaul.com/blog/interview-on-rimon-artist-salon-with-lisa-gutkinRimon: The Minnesota Jewish Arts Council, an initiative of the Minneapolis Jewish Federation, will present Lisa Gutkin(composer, multi-instrumentalist, and violinist in The Klezmatics) at Studio Z on Oct. 24 for a first hearing of her music-theater work-in-progress, "The Trail Forward," as part of the Rimon Artis Salon series. We interviewed David Harris, Rimon Executive Director, to find out more about the series and Lisa Gutkin.

​What is the Rimon Artist Salon series, and how long have you been doing it?

Amazingly this is the 12th year of the series. The Salons began as a way to explore how artists interpret or come to terms with the world that we all live in. What are their methods to grapple with an idea? How do they develop their art work? What inspires it? What technologies do they use? Different Salons generate different questions, of course. There have been forty-five Salons to date, investigating dance, photography, slam poetry, popular music, puppetry, glass arts, fiction, multimedia installation, film, architecture, theater, painting, video, non-fiction, and interdisciplinary work too. It turns out that the arts-loving public is hungry for these intimate conversations. I call it “lifting the veil.”

How is this different from an artist’s talk?

It’s meant to be a dialogue, not an information dump. One or two artists present some of their work, and a dialogue partner (aka moderator) starts to stir the conversational pot with them. The Salons are always built around an idea and are meant to be public conversations in which everyone in the room walks out having learned something, including the artists. The format is simple and dynamic, and the audience plays a big role in the conversation. I like to say that the best idea in the room is usually sitting in the audience.

Tell us about Lisa Gutkin and how you became familiar with her work.

I first encountered Lisa Gutkin in her work as the violinist in the amazing band The Klezmatics. They’ve performed in the Twin Cities a lot over the years. Few bands have had the staying power and enduring creativity of this ensemble. Then I started hearing about a remarkable theater piece in New York called Indecent. Everyone seemed to be blown away by the show. Lisa had created the music for it. When the Guthrie did its wonderful production of Indecent last winter, Lisa played in the show along with two other great musicians: Pat O’Keefe and Spencer Chandler. The music provided some of the most memorable moments of the evening for me and was brilliantly integrated into the flow of the show. Later in the year I met Lisa at Spencer’s home and found out that she would be back in Minnesota in October. That brings us to the present moment.

What is the story behind "The Trail Forward"?

This is a very personal project for Lisa and is very much in development—a work-in-progress. Its working title is “The Trail Forward,” and it’s about growing up with eighty-five Jewish, outdoor-loving, garment worker, leftist grandparents. It delves into the multilingual, politically radical village assembled by these immigrants who were mostly Eastern European Jews. The community’s evolution over time has become a metaphor for their assimilation into American life. Lisa is terrifically excited to get her musical ideas and some of the show’s characters in front of an audience to see what’s working or what could work better.

So what’s the idea in this Salon that you referred to?

Music has the power to reflect and ignite change in the culture. Artists have a role to play in shaping the world, and we all need to get busy.

​RIMON ARTIST SALONLISA GUTKIN

Lisa Gutkin--composer, multi-instrumentalist, and violinist in The Klezmatics--offers a first hearing of her music-theater work-in-progress, "The Trail Forward," about growing up with 85 lefty, Jewish, outdoor-loving garment worker grandparents. Rabbi Arielle Lekach-Rosenberg joins Lisa in conversation about making change through collective action and the power of music to ignite it. ​